Formed as a spin-off from the Grateful Dead, by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, John Dawson and David Nelson, The New Riders of the Purple Sage quickly gained momentum with their unique style of music. Three decades and a few generations later, The New Riders have remained faithful to their fans, continuing to play the John Dawson original songs they are known for. The current line-up, led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, include Michael Falzarano, Ronnie Penque and Johnny Markowski.